Natural Disasters

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo earthquake engineer
Michael C. Constantinou said while today’s earthquake near
Ottawa, Canada, appears to have caused little damage it should
nonetheless remind people that the East Coast is not immune to
temblors.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Sixty-two percent of Americans now say
they believe that global warming is happening and only 16 percent
say it is not. However, the percentage of climate change
deniers has increased by four points since September and 46 percent
of them say they are “very” or “extremely”
sure they are correct.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – A brick wall imitating part of a New York
City row house (often called a “brownstone”) suffered
minor damage but remained intact during a simulation of the 2011
Virginia earthquake, according to a preliminary analysis of tests
conducted Feb. 19 at the University at Buffalo.

University at Buffalo faculty members are available to discuss challenges relating to the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast, including threats to buildings, infrastructure and water supplies.

A voice carried across the treeless plateau: "Fire in the hole! The range is now active." Two dozen people fell silent before a muffled blast sent a geyser-like shower of crushed gravel, limestone and asphalt roughly 50 feet in the air. Moments later, standing at the blast site, University at Buffalo geology professor Greg Valentine gave an impromptu assessment.

Seeing the Rocky Mountains usually tops the list of things to do when visiting Colorado. Not for Shannon Seneca, who vacationed there after graduating high school 15 years ago. Upon landing in Denver, she headed straight for the Rocky Flats Plant, a former nuclear weapons production facility.

Andrew S. Whittaker, PhD, a University at Buffalo professor and an internationally recognized expert in earthquake and blast engineering, has been elected to a two-year term as director of MCEER, a national center of excellence focused on multi-hazard engineering.

AMEC Geomatrix of Amherst, N.Y., has received the National Ground Water Association's 2011 Ground Water Remediation Award for an innovative nuclear waste cleanup project that the company completed with University at Buffalo researchers.